Equation Editor Guide:
Monday, December 15, 2014
PARCC: Tips for Entering Math with the Equation Editor
Here are some tips for entering answers for the math portion of the PARCC Assessment. Teachers should repeatedly cover the use of the PARCC Equation Editor, throughout the upcoming weeks with their students to prepare them for the new testing format. Below are links to the tips on using the Equation Editor by grade band.
Tuesday, December 2, 2014
Are you thinking differently about your assessments?
Have you shifted the way you think about assessments to match the Next Generation Assessments? View I Teach Bay's blog link below to learn the three instructional shifts you should be making in your classroom to prepare your students for the new upcoming assessments.
Tuesday, November 25, 2014
Websites that contain "PARCC Like" Questions
If you are looking to have your students practice their skills using "PARCC Like" Questions, the following sites can help you accomplish this task. Both sites have an ELA & Math focus and the edcite website allows your students to hone their skills using interactive questions and answers.
Thursday, November 13, 2014
Updated PARCC Accessibility Features and Accommodations Manual
Friday, November 7 PARCC released the most recent update (third edition) of PARCC Assessment Accessibility Features and Accommodations Manual. Click the link below to view the document.
Wednesday, October 22, 2014
PARCC ACCESSIBILITY FEATURES AND ACCOMMODATIONS MANUAL
The PARCC ACCESSIBILITY FEATURES AND ACCOMMODATIONS MANUAL can be accessed using the link below. On page 27 of the manual, teachers will find the Presentation Accommodations for Students with Disabilities. Table 2 provides the accommodation and the administration guidelines for teachers to follow.
Tuesday, October 21, 2014
PD Day Coco Beans Prize Winner
Congratulations to the Coco Beans prize winner Katie Buckley! Katie's name was drawn after completing the Next Generation Assessments Exploration during the October 16th Professional Development Day. Thank you to all that participated in the educational and productive Professional Development Day!
Tuesday, October 14, 2014
GRADUATION UPDATE:
The State Board approved two essential elements of the new requirements: the graduation points system and a list of tests students can take in lieu of Ohio’s tests. Click the link below for a summary of the State Board’s major decisions.
GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS: Frequently Asked Questions
In June 2014, the Ohio General Assembly created new graduation requirements for students entering the ninth grade for the first time in the 2014-2015 school year. The General Assembly also charged the State Board of Education and Ohio Department of Education staff with creating the many rules and policy decisions needed to guide local implementation. Since then, staff members and the board’s Graduation Requirements Committee have worked urgently to craft and adopt these many rules and policies.
On Sept. 16, 2014, the State Board finalized many of the implementation details including two essential elements of the new requirements: the graduation points system and a list of tests student can take in lieu of Ohio’s tests. Click the link below to view the Graduation Requirements Frequently Asked Questions.
On Sept. 16, 2014, the State Board finalized many of the implementation details including two essential elements of the new requirements: the graduation points system and a list of tests student can take in lieu of Ohio’s tests. Click the link below to view the Graduation Requirements Frequently Asked Questions.
Monday, October 13, 2014
WHAT’S CHANGING IN OHIO EDUCATION: Ohio’s Elementary and High School State Tests
This school year Ohio launches a new generation of computer-based state tests in English language arts, mathematics, science and social studies. The state tests measure student progress toward Ohio’s New Learning Standards. The results show whether students have the knowledge and skills necessary to move successfully to their next steps in education or a career. Click the link below to view what's changing.
Ohio’s Elementary and High School State Tests
Wednesday, October 8, 2014
Next Generation Assessment Test Specifications
The Ohio Department of Education and PARCC has released a set of draft test specification documents, including description of the assessment components and item types, assessment blueprints, evidence statements tables and item specifications, to help educators and the general public better understand the design of the Next Generation assessments that will begin this school year.
Thursday, October 2, 2014
Google Announces Unlimited Google Drive Storage
Yesterday Google announced that it will be offering FREE unlimited storage to all Google Apps for Education school districts. This will ensure that teachers and students can work in Google Drive without any storage limits.
Data security is also a priority at Google. According to Google, every file uploaded to Google Drive is encrypted, not only from your device to Google and in transit between Google data centers, but also at rest on Google servers. As always, the data that schools and students put into our systems is theirs.
Check out the Blog post below for more information.
Data security is also a priority at Google. According to Google, every file uploaded to Google Drive is encrypted, not only from your device to Google and in transit between Google data centers, but also at rest on Google servers. As always, the data that schools and students put into our systems is theirs.
Check out the Blog post below for more information.
Announcing Drive for Education: The 21st century backpack for students
Monday, September 22, 2014
Next Generation Assessments-Resources
Schools around the world are moving to online assessments for their students that include technology-enhanced, interactive assessment items. Groups such as PARCC and American Institutes for Research (AIR) are developing such assessments for states across the U.S. In general these tests are collectively referred to as Next Generation Assessments.
To successfully complete these assessments, student will need to be able to perform many technology tasks including:
Click / tap
|
Select object
|
Use text highlighter
|
Scroll
|
Select text
|
Use calculator
|
Plot points
|
Select area
|
Use protractor
|
Drag and drop
|
Select and drag / slide
|
Use ruler
|
Type with text editor
|
Unselect
|
Use video player
|
Use the following link to explore the Next Generation Assessments by Content Area, Grade Band, General Information, and various Keyboarding & Mouse Skills.
Wednesday, September 17, 2014
Curriculum Overview Professional Development Q & A
During the Curriculum Overview of August PD we collected questions in a Parking Lot. We have compiled all questions and provided you with answers. Please email the curriculum department if you have further questions.
Questions and Answers can be found here. Curriculum Overview PD Q & A
Tuesday, September 9, 2014
New School Year!
Welcome Back! I hope all are settling in to teaching, instruction, and assessment. These will be three busy words that will be used often during this school year. As the curriculum department highlighted during August professional development, there are a few new things on the plate this year. We will provide our grade 10 students the OGT for the last time in the spring. We will assess our kindergarten students with a new assessment, KRA. Students in grades 3-9 will participate in NGA beginning in February.
To help us keep the acronyms of education straight, I am sharing a link to a document that Char Shyrock has put together. I hope you find this useful.
Terms Educators Need to Know
To help us keep the acronyms of education straight, I am sharing a link to a document that Char Shyrock has put together. I hope you find this useful.
Terms Educators Need to Know
Sunday, March 30, 2014
More PARCC information
As we continue with our PARCC pilot we have the advantage of viewing test items in both Math and ELA. In this first week, we have observed students working thoughtfully through challenging questions. It has already proven to be a great experience for both our teachers and our students to become familiar with the Next Generation Assessments.
It is important to continue to visit the regularly updated PARCC website which offers practice test items. New practice tests have been recently added for grades 3-11 ELA.
Participating in this pilot offers us great potential benefits of the new reform efforts and online assessments. Our staff members who are participating as test administrators will have the opportunity to provide valuable feedback after their testing sessions. We, as a district, will have the same valuable opportunity. I am pleased that we will have a voice in the changes that are in front of us.
Please take a moment to read the article from Char Shyrock, Bay Village Curriculum Director, who shares her support on the changes that are coming with standards and assessments.
https://www.parcconline.org/
It is important to continue to visit the regularly updated PARCC website which offers practice test items. New practice tests have been recently added for grades 3-11 ELA.
Participating in this pilot offers us great potential benefits of the new reform efforts and online assessments. Our staff members who are participating as test administrators will have the opportunity to provide valuable feedback after their testing sessions. We, as a district, will have the same valuable opportunity. I am pleased that we will have a voice in the changes that are in front of us.
Please take a moment to read the article from Char Shyrock, Bay Village Curriculum Director, who shares her support on the changes that are coming with standards and assessments.
https://www.parcconline.org/
Wednesday, March 12, 2014
PARCC Pilot Assessments Coming to FCSD
This spring, our district will participate in an opportunity to shape Ohio's Next Generation of Assessments.
Ohio is developing computer-based state tests for the 2014-15 school year. The tests will be in math, reading, writing, science, and social studies. These high-quality tests will measure our students' knowledge, as well as skills like critical thinking, problem-solving and using information to form responses to questions.
We are fortunate to be a part of the pilot for these new assessments. The following schools will participate beginning in March and ending in May.
Ross-Algbra I, Geometry, and Algebra II
FMS-ELA grade 8
Hayes-ELA grade 5
Lutz-ELA grade 5
Croghan-Math grade 4 and Math grade 3
Otis-ELA grade 4
Stamm-Math grade 3
While we will receive no student scores, it is very important for parents and families to encourage their students to do their best when answering the questions. By taking part in the field tests, our district will help inform the Ohio Department of Education on the format, question design, and length of the new assessments. The pilot will also help inform us on the testing schedule, the use of technology, and the overall format of the new assessments.
Ohio is developing computer-based state tests for the 2014-15 school year. The tests will be in math, reading, writing, science, and social studies. These high-quality tests will measure our students' knowledge, as well as skills like critical thinking, problem-solving and using information to form responses to questions.
We are fortunate to be a part of the pilot for these new assessments. The following schools will participate beginning in March and ending in May.
Ross-Algbra I, Geometry, and Algebra II
FMS-ELA grade 8
Hayes-ELA grade 5
Lutz-ELA grade 5
Croghan-Math grade 4 and Math grade 3
Otis-ELA grade 4
Stamm-Math grade 3
While we will receive no student scores, it is very important for parents and families to encourage their students to do their best when answering the questions. By taking part in the field tests, our district will help inform the Ohio Department of Education on the format, question design, and length of the new assessments. The pilot will also help inform us on the testing schedule, the use of technology, and the overall format of the new assessments.
Monday, February 10, 2014
Post PD Reflections from FCSD teachers
PD Day: January 22, 2014
These are some ideas on how teachers on how teachers are implementing Guided Reading opportunities for their students:
• Providing more time to read daily
• Creation of reading centers
• Literature circle opportunities
• Using leveled readers in small groups daily
Balanced Literacy activities that teachers are using based on current pacing and model
• Reading stations/centers that include fluency activities, vocabulary games, partner reading, word/vocabulary work, guided reading with teacher
• Independent reading
• Interactive/guided writing
• Read alouds/Modeled reading
• Reading aloud quality literature
Scoop Article discussion:
• Students need math manipulates to help them understand math concepts at a deeper
• Teaching students how to solve math problems together makes their learning experience much more engaging.
• CCSS lessons should be taught across the subjects and with multiple standards with time provided for the students to discuss.
• Using technology to help make lessons more creative or innovative makes students more responsible for their own learning.
Impressions of PARCC questions:
• Higher level questions on Bloom’s taxonomy – applying, analyzing, and creating
• Multi-step problems
• Students need to explain their answers in depth
• Students need practice manipulating test questions on the computer
These are some ideas on how teachers on how teachers are implementing Guided Reading opportunities for their students:
• Providing more time to read daily
• Creation of reading centers
• Literature circle opportunities
• Using leveled readers in small groups daily
Balanced Literacy activities that teachers are using based on current pacing and model
• Reading stations/centers that include fluency activities, vocabulary games, partner reading, word/vocabulary work, guided reading with teacher
• Independent reading
• Interactive/guided writing
• Read alouds/Modeled reading
• Reading aloud quality literature
Scoop Article discussion:
• Students need math manipulates to help them understand math concepts at a deeper
• Teaching students how to solve math problems together makes their learning experience much more engaging.
• CCSS lessons should be taught across the subjects and with multiple standards with time provided for the students to discuss.
• Using technology to help make lessons more creative or innovative makes students more responsible for their own learning.
Impressions of PARCC questions:
• Higher level questions on Bloom’s taxonomy – applying, analyzing, and creating
• Multi-step problems
• Students need to explain their answers in depth
• Students need practice manipulating test questions on the computer
Tuesday, January 7, 2014
Have a GREAT beginning to the new year!
As we begin 2014, I would like to encourage you to re-engage your learners and yourself. This snowy, cold time is a GREAT time to Guide-Release-Engage-Assess-Teach.
Guide your learners with small groups of learning. Guided instruction that is specifically aligned to individual students’ needs and deeply aligned to the standards will garner more success for our learners.
Release the learning responsibility to your students. You have spent a considerable amount of time delivering the material, unleashing the standards, and providing the instruction. It is time to release some responsibility to the capable students whom you have developed. Provide them the opportunity to demonstrate their learning and share with their peers.
Engage, or re-engage, your students in the learning. Mid-year is a wonderful time to stop and re-establish the learning environment of the classroom. Can you recreate the excitement of September? Rekindle the desire to learn something new!
Assess your students to determine their mastery of the learning standards. Does their learning level align for end of year success? Are you ready for the district Common Assessments? Have you established other formative assessments to include in your teaching cycle? Do you have any performance assessments that need to be completed by the end of the semester?
Teach your students in a rigorous manner that prepares them for today’s learning and tomorrow’s challenges. Remember that we are enlisted with the challenge of preparing our students for College and Careers.
The links located to the right are a great way to get started or revisit some good ideas. Best of luck in 2014 and please contact the Curriculum Department with any questions or concerns that we can assist with!
Guide your learners with small groups of learning. Guided instruction that is specifically aligned to individual students’ needs and deeply aligned to the standards will garner more success for our learners.
Release the learning responsibility to your students. You have spent a considerable amount of time delivering the material, unleashing the standards, and providing the instruction. It is time to release some responsibility to the capable students whom you have developed. Provide them the opportunity to demonstrate their learning and share with their peers.
Engage, or re-engage, your students in the learning. Mid-year is a wonderful time to stop and re-establish the learning environment of the classroom. Can you recreate the excitement of September? Rekindle the desire to learn something new!
Assess your students to determine their mastery of the learning standards. Does their learning level align for end of year success? Are you ready for the district Common Assessments? Have you established other formative assessments to include in your teaching cycle? Do you have any performance assessments that need to be completed by the end of the semester?
Teach your students in a rigorous manner that prepares them for today’s learning and tomorrow’s challenges. Remember that we are enlisted with the challenge of preparing our students for College and Careers.
The links located to the right are a great way to get started or revisit some good ideas. Best of luck in 2014 and please contact the Curriculum Department with any questions or concerns that we can assist with!
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